Fever

Bernice McFadden (Sugar ) returns as the pseudonymous African-American chick lit author Holliday with this juicy but slow-building sequel to Groove . The four-friend cast of New York City singles is back, putting out fires and issuing advice they really should consider for themselves. Geneva Holliday, the plus-size waitress and 30-something single mother of two, thinks she's too old and fat for love, but her son's 23-year-old friend enthusiastically proves her wrong—much to her son's discomfort. Crystal Atkins is professionally successful but "snappish" and celibate, so her mother obliges her to host childhood friend Neville. It's no surprise that Neville grew into a fine specimen, but sparks fly between him and Crystal for unexpected reasons. High-maintenance fashionista Chevy Cambridge lands a glamorous but grueling job as personal assistant to a female radio personality, Anja the Anaconda—whose facade conceals a bizarre truth. Noah Bodison lives in London with his boyfriend and continues to dispatch hilarious advice and gossip from abroad, but he finds his relationship challenged when he and his mate are approached for a ménage à quatre. The fluffy rising action, audaciously detailed sex scenes and the novel's final risqué revelations offer Groove fans more trashy fun. (Apr.)